San Joaquin County Business, Economy & Jobs Digest

Elon Musk, the tech mogul who runs Tesla, said in December that diversity, equity and inclusion efforts “must die.” Now, two civil rights groups are calling for the nation’s largest public pension fund to divest from the electric vehicle maker.

Tens of thousands of California ride-hailing drivers, and possibly more, could eventually get back pay after a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that clears the way for the state and some cities to proceed with their lawsuits against Uber and Lyft.

An outdoor food truck and container area is being considered for Library Park in downtown Manteca.

Stocktonia takes a look at the Proposition 32 minimum wage measure on the November ballot.

The state Labor Commissioner sometimes struggles to get back pay to workers when it reaches wage theft settlements. It tries social media, TV and hotlines. But money owed to employees is still sitting in state accounts.

The Assembly approves Gov. Newsom’s bill on oil refineries on a 44-17 vote. But the state Senate will have its say during the special session.

A California minimum wage law that was delayed amid budget troubles is now set to go into effect Oct. 16. It’s expected to benefit hundreds of thousands of workers.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal to combat gasoline price spikes appears headed to a long-awaited Assembly floor vote next week after passing out of committee on September 26.

The public is invited to the Ripon Chamber of Commerce sponsored 39th Annual Main Street Day on October 19.

The governor wants new gas reserves to dampen seasonal price spikes. Refiners say the move would raise prices and require new storage tanks.

Many California farmworkers have long lacked safe and affordable places to sleep — an issue thrown into sharp relief after last year’s mass shooting in Half Moon Bay, which left seven agricultural workers dead.

About 4 in 10 Californians are believed to be carrying medical debt, which can harm their chances of landing a mortgage or an apartment if it shows up on credit reports.

Jessica Alvarez Castañeda was sick of low-paying jobs. For years, the 39-year-old mother of four had been “breaking her back for almost nothing” as a cashier, nursing assistant, babysitter, house cleaner and cook.

The recently released San Joaquin County Crop Report showed a decline in the top four local agricultural products.

California voters passed Proposition 22 four years ago. The ballot initiative, backed by Uber, Lyft and other gig companies, promised the state’s more than 1 million gig workers new benefits, such as guaranteed minimum earnings, health care stipends, occupational accident insurance and accidental death insurance.

California’s unemployment rate, 5.2% of its labor force in July, is no longer the nation’s highest after months of having that dubious distinction.

The City of Manteca community benefit agreements with three recently approved marijuana dispensaries aim to generate a minimum of $1 million for city coffers.

A look at the training program for beginner farmers offered by the Center for Land-Based Learning in Woodland.

In their August 27 meeting, the San Joaquin Board of Supervisors directed staff to explore a project to bring a medical school to the county, possibly to be located at the San Joaquin General Hospital campus in the French Camp.

A look at the 2023 San Joaquin County agriculture report: $3.22 billion in production by 3,340 mostly small family-owned farms.

Dozens of young people held a demonstration on August 17 in downtown Sacramento to protest the banking industry's contribution to the escalating effects of climate change.

A proposal to increase limits on total cannabis dispensaries in Sacramento was shelved following input from current dispensary owners who asserted the local market is oversaturated.

The Tracy City Council held a workshop on August 13 seeking to modify the Measure B business tax passed by voters in 2022.

Proposition 32 to increase the minimum wage from $16 isn’t as far-reaching as when it was first proposed. Fast food workers are already making more, and health care employees are on track. But worker groups are already pushing for more.

A survey undertaken in May and June indicated an overall surplus of parking in downtown Manteca, leading to discussions of future infill project parking requirements.

Legislators are pushing ahead with a retail theft bill package in their continued opposition of Proposition 36 — a November ballot measure backed by law enforcement groups and Republicans (and some Democrats) that would roll back parts of 2014’s Prop. 47.

In his 2018 campaign, Gov. Gavin Newsom said he would create 500,000 new apprenticeships in the decade after taking office. So far, the state has registered more than 180,000 new apprenticeships. Many of them are firefighters.

After years of delay, a new California regulation to protect indoor workers from extreme heat is now in effect.

California Forever’s announcement July 22 that it has decided to pull a ballot measure that would have let voters decide on a controversial planned city in rural Solano County drew swift reaction from political leaders and opponents.

On July 22, California Forever announced it was withdrawing its initiative to amend the Solano County General Plan off the November ballot and would instead begin working with the county through the normal, though less expeditious, process.

A judge has halted a union effort at the Wonderful Company, throwing into question a new state law designed to make it easier for agricultural workers to organize.

A new City of Lodi business license registration and renewal portal is available online.